


Caught Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

by darth_rachel



Category: Below Deck (TV), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anger Management, Ben Solo finds khaki skorts sexy send tweet, Chef!Ben, Co-workers, Cooking, F/M, Hux is a sarcastic asshole and we love him for that, Rey’s a flirt and Ben is too stupid to notice, Rich people are obnoxious, Slow Burn, Slow-ish burn, Wet Dream, Yachting, ben solo is a simp, boat romance, foster system mentioned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:00:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27708706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darth_rachel/pseuds/darth_rachel
Summary: Meaning: Trapped/caught between significant difficultiesor- the Below Deck/yachty AU I couldn’t stop thinking about
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 10
Kudos: 25





	1. All Crew to the Crew Mess

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my first ever fic! Since joining the online Reylo fic community, I’ve been extremely inspired to try and write something of my own.  
> I’m a little bit obsessed with the TV show Below Deck, and just felt like the dynamics onboard a luxury yacht SCREAMED Reylo. 
> 
> I don’t have any planned update schedule for this, or a finalized chapter count. This was only going to be a one shot but as I started writing I realized I wasn’t going to be able to fit everything I wanted to say into one chapter. But I’m predicting that it will be around 4-5 chapters. Please subscribe if you want to know when it updates as it will happen sporadically. I’m holding myself accountable that this WILL get finished. Tags will update as we go along as I’m not exactly sure of tag worthy specifics that will be in future chapters. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

********** 

It was the perfect Spanish Mediterranean day. The sun was warm, there was a light breeze, and the smell of salty sea air wafted through the marina. Ben walked down the dock with a large suitcase in tow. He never thought he’d be back here after all these years but, after the shit few months he’s had, he’s glad this is where life currently took him.

It had been five years since he was on a yacht. After culinary school he quickly got dragged into the yachting world working his way up to become the head chef on many a luxury boat. It was the perfect job. Being able to create his own menus, getting to travel the world, and cooking with new foods and flavors only available in other countries. But then he met the right people (later figuring out that they were the wrong people), and after five years away he was back to his roots. 

He was ready to love cooking again. 

He stopped on the dock to admire the vessel he’d be spending the next two months on. The Resistance was a beautiful 50meter super yacht, ready to cater to the needs of the worlds wealthiest inhabitants. Ben noted that the boat already looked shiny and clean. The deck crew must be here already. 

“BEN SOLO!” He hears being yelled in his direction. 

He looks up towards the aft deck and _of course_ Dameron is working on this boat. 

“I can’t believe we’re on a boat together again!”

Poe Dameron was just too damn happy for Ben to even stand being around. Ben liked to focus on the job at hand, Poe liked to make it ‘fun’. 

He and Poe worked on a small sailing yacht early in Ben’s culinary career. It was his first job as the sole chef on board, and Poe was a deckhand. 

Poe made his way onto the swim platform and headed towards the gangway. 

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get all sentimental on me Dameron.” Ben rolled his eyes. 

“But it’ll be just like old times! And oh how I’ve missed those scallops you used to make. I swear sometimes I dream about them.”

“Typical that you only remember the food and not you hanging around the galley bothering me with every questions under the sun instead of doing your job.”

Poe put his hands on his hips, “Well clearly I did something right over the years because now I’m in charge of the entire deck team. Can’t tell me I’m not doing my job now huh?” 

“You just do your thing and I’ll do mine and we’ll stay out of each others way okay? I don’t need any distractions.”

“Have it your way Solo. Just trying to be a friendly face on a boat where you don’t know anyone but me and cap.”

Ben gave a small nod and started hauling his suitcase onto the boat and headed towards the stairs to make his way to the main doors. 

“Just leave your luggage on the platform and I’ll have one of the deckhands bring it down to the crew mess. I’m pretty sure captain would want to see you right away. She’s up in the wheelhouse.” Poe quickly turned away and went into the tender garage where all the water toys lived while not being used.

Ben gently placed his suitcase down on the platform and made his way up the stairs to the rest of the ship. 

********** 

As Ben climbed the stairs to the wheelhouse, he saw the captain standing over the table in the middle of the room. Gwen Phasma was a force to be reckoned with in the yachting world. There weren’t many female captains, but she ranked high above any of the male captains that Ben had worked with over the years. Even with Ben leaving the industry for a period of time, the two had remained friends. 

“You know you’ve really saved my ass this time Solo.” Plasma came around the table and walked over to Ben. 

She clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I owe you big time.”

“It’s really no problem Phas. It’s not a normal thing to have your chef break both their legs two days before charter starts!”

“Well you’re still a lifesaver. I didn’t even know you weren’t working for you know who anymore. I wish you had told me sooner.”

Ben took a deep, calming breath. “It had to end. But I’m glad to be here. I've just been sitting around so this honestly is the perfect distraction."

“Well as long as you cook like I know you can, then everything will go smoothly. Plus our chief stew this season is great. It’s only her second year leading the department but she’s been working on yachts for eight years”

“Actually, where is she right now? I’d like to talk to her about how I like things done in regards to-“

“Solo, take a breather.” Phasma quickly interrupted him, “You have plenty of time to talk with her. We don’t have guests coming until late tomorrow afternoon. Anyways, she and her stews are off boat at the moment. They went into town to pick up some table decorations and some super specific alcohol the guests requested.”

Ben pursed his lips together. He had a very strict way how his kitchen was run and knowing that this chief stew was relatively new to the position, he wanted to make sure there were no problems at all this season. 

Phasma rolled her eyes, knowing that Ben was going to worst case scenario in his head already. 

“Why don’t you go unpack your things and start organizing the galley to your liking. You’re in the first room on the left down in the crew quarters. You‘ll be rooming with Dameron.“

Ben’s face immediately scrunched up in disgust,

“But you’re on such opposite schedules with him being bosun and everything I’m sure the only time you’ll both be in there is when you’re sleeping.”

Ben really hoped that Poe had taken bottom bunk. He already didn’t fit in the tiny crew cabin bunk beds, with him being 6’3” and everything, so at least if he was on the top it felt like he had a little extra room. 

“Provisions have already been ordered and will be delivered later. I’ll send down the guest food requests and restrictions for you a little later so you can get planning. Now go on, I need to map out our course for the next few days and I can’t have you distracting me!”

“Aye-aye captain!” 

He started to walk away but when he got to the stairway he turned around. “It’s really nice to see you again Phas”

“You too Ben”, Phasma said with a smile, her head down in the stack of maps she had laid out on the table. 

********** 

After Ben unpacked his suitcase (thanking whatever all powerful being that Poe had indeed taken the bottom bunk), he found his chef jackets and polo shirts with the boats logo on them in the laundry room and set off for the galley. 

It was a great sized galley for the size of boat. Double ovens, 8 stovetop burners, a griddle, large walk-in fridge, a lot of counter space (including an island) for the limited room, and every tool imaginable. The only thing Ben would bring specific to him was his set of chefs knives. He had been using the same set for years, and wouldn’t cook without them. 

He started opening drawers to take stock of where tools were and if he wanted to move things around for ease of navigation while cooking. He didn’t like to think where something was while he prepped, he just wanted to instinctively reach for whatever he needed. 

“Oh good you’re here!!” He heard a female voice from the doorway. 

A petite blonde woman with her hair tied up in two buns on either side of her head walked into the galley. 

“Hi I’m Kaydel! I’m the lead deckhand this season. Wanted to come introduce myself as I’ll be doing lates as of right now so I’ll be available to help after dinner service if you need anything.”

“It’s nice to meet you Kaydel. And thanks for offering the help. I’ll definitely let you know if I need any.”

“Poe said you two had worked together on yachts before. That’s so cool you get to work together again! This is my second season working under him, he’s taught me so much about yachting.”

Ben let out a soft chuckle. “Yeah he’s just great." Hopefully he did't sound _too_ sarcastic. He knew that sometimes people took what he said the wrong way. "But yes, we worked together on a 30meter sailboat years ago. Before I left yachting for a different culinary position.”

“That’s so cool! Well I can’t wait to see the food you prepare this season. I’m just going to grab a bottle of water before heading up to mop the sun deck. Finn, the other deckhand, is just finishing up washing the windows, so if you need any help just radio us and someone should be available!”

“Thanks Kaydel. I’ll see you around.”

Kaydel quickly reached into the mini fridge under the counter, grabbed a water bottle, and skipped out of the galley. 

********** 

A few hours passed, and Ben finally felt satisfied with how the galley was organized. He was ready for provisions to get the fridge stocked and begin some prep work for tomorrow before the guests arrived. In the meantime, he could get his knives ready for the season. 

As he was sharpening his knives he heard the door to the main salon open and loud voices filled the space. 

At first he couldn’t make out a thing that was being said. Multiple voices were talking over each other and there was a lot of loud laughter. 

“I can’t believe we had to go to SIX different stores just for this damn tequila!” A feminine voice boomed through the rooms. 

“Well when they’re paying €230,000 a week to be here we’d get them fresh bagels flown in day of from New York City if they asked for it. No questions.” This time an Irish accent was heard around the doorway. 

Wait. He’s heard that Irish accent before...

“Well I’ll be damned. If it isn’t the golden boy himself Ben Solo.”

When Ben glanced up at the doorway, there he saw a tall redhead in a boat polo scowling at him. 

Is this some cruel joke the world is playing on him? Dameron was one thing but this? Having to see Armitage Hux might _actually_ drive him to insanity. 

“What the hell are you doing here? Finally decided that your ass didn’t need to be kicked around by Sno-“

Ben quickly snapped at him. “Don’t bring him up. It didn’t work out and Phas had a job opening, so here I am!" He threw out his arms in a gesture to show off the kitchen. "I thought Poe was going to be the pain in the ass for the season, but this? This is ten times worse.” 

“Woah woah woah! Calm down Solo. It’s not like I’m happy to see you here either.”

A petite Asian woman appeared in the doorway next to Hux. She also had a boat polo on, with her black hair pulled up into a ponytail. A large smile appeared on her face.

“Oh! You must be the chef! Wow you’re so tall! We’ve been waiting for you! I wanted to start cleaning up in here earlier to help you out but everyone told me not to touch anything because chefs can be so picky about what goes where.”

She spoke a mile a minute with way too much enthusiasm for Ben. She must be new to yachting Ben thought. The newbies always have so much energy. Anyone with more than a season of experience was never that perky before a charter started (except for Poe, he was as abnormal as they could get). 

“Hi, yes. My name is Ben. And you are?” He ignored the death glare Hux was currently giving him. 

“Nice to meet you! My name is Rose. Rose Tico. I’m the third stew and this is my first year working on a boat, I’m so excited!”

Yup. Just as he thought. Green as they come. 

“Is the chef here?” He heard a British accent coming from around the corner. 

“Yeah he’s in here. I’m not excited about it but can’t get those tips without a chef.” Hux rolled his eyes and spoke in the direction of the mystery voice. 

“Oh great! Now the party can get started!” The voice said as it entered the room. 

Ben looked up and immediately had tunnel vision. 

Standing before him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. 

She stood with a confidence Ben had never seen before. She was tall, with a slim athletic build. Wavy brown hair fell around her shoulders. The way her boat issued polo and khaki skort hugged the slight curves of her body...

_When did Ben find a skort so damn sexy?_

It didn’t help that when he glanced down, it was like her legs went on forever coming out of that skort. 

Her smile was so bright. Ben felt as though the room immediately brightened up. 

She walked over to him, standing across the island and reached out her hand. 

“Hi! I’m Rey Niima, the chief stew. Guess we’ll be working together a lot the next few months!”

Ben couldn’t move. Now that she was closer, he noticed the freckles on her face. That she had the most beautiful shade of hazel eyes. The way her nose crinkled as she smiled at him. 

It wasn’t until Hux let out a small cough that Ben realized he was staring. And that she was just standing there looking at him with her arm extended. How long had he been out of it?

He quickly grabbed her hand. 

“Yes! Hi! I’m Ben. Ben Solo. The chef. I’m the chef. Well you know that already I guess.” It was like he was vomiting the words right at her. When had he ever been this nervous to talk to someone?

She let out a soft laugh. “Well I would hope you are the chef, if you weren’t then I would have to worry that there was a strange man sharpening multiple large knives aboard!”

He appreciated that she had a sense of humor. 

“Oh. Yes. Well, just trying to be as prepared as I can before tomorrow.” 

“I completely understand! We’re trying to make sure all the guest rooms are clean and that the pantry is organized today so that tomorrow we just have minimal work before everyone arrives.” 

He couldn’t stop staring at her as she talked. He knew she had years of experience, but she talked about the job as if it was the most exciting thing she was doing. 

Could he love his job again just as much as she clearly loved hers?

He had to go back into work mode. “I have everything ready here in the kitchen for when provisions arrive, so it will be easy for us to put everything away so that in case I’m not in the kitchen and the guests needs something your team can easily find it.” These were his coworkers and he ranked much higher above them as chef. He needed them to see that he had a system and that in his galley it had to be followed. 

“That’s great Ben. That’ll be extremely helpful when someone inevitably asks me for nachos at two in the morning.” She winked at him. 

His heart rate sped up. Things he never thought twice about, a skort... a wink, were now incredibly attractive. 

She continued on, “I’m going to go get these two set up with some tasks and put away everything we bought in town, but then I’ll be back up and we can talk about how we want meal services run during the charters.”

Usually in the past, Ben had trouble with many of the chief stews because they decided to dictate how meal services were run even though it was Ben cooking the food. He had multiple dinners where by the time the food made it from the galley to the table, it had already gotten cold because the other stews took their damn time coming up to help. But the way she said “we” when talking about service relaxed him in a way he had never felt before. He had barely known her five minutes and he could already tell there was something special about her. 

“That works for me Rey. I’ll just be in here or out in the salon meal planning whenever you’re ready.”

“Great!” She turned and faced Rose, “now Miss Rose, let’s go show you how to fold top sheet corners so tight the guests will never be able to get out of bed!”

The two of them walked away, heading towards the stairs that led to the guest cabins Ben assumed. 

He noticed Hux was still standing in the doorway, with an obnoxious grin on his face. 

“You may want to pick your jaw up off the floor Ben, don’t want your galley dirty before you actually start cooking.”

He snickered and walked away in the same direction Rey and Rose went. 

Ben finally let out a breath of relief. Had he not been breathing that entire time? It sure felt like it. 

Just 24 hours ago he received the call from Phasma begging him to fly over to Spain to work on The Resistance. Then he finds out he’ll be working with both Poe Dameron _and_ Armitage Hux. It felt like someone was about to jump out from around the corner and scream that he had just gotten punk’d. At least the other members of the crew seemed nice. 

And then he met Rey. And that threw him for a curveball. He had never had an immediate attraction to someone like he had with her. But this was work. He couldn’t let that distract him from what he was hired to do. Even if that damn skort kept popping up in his head. 

This season was all about gaining his love for his craft back. Nothing would hold him back and he would make sure this was the smoothest yachting season he had worked. 

Ben grabbed his notebook, the packet of guest food requests and restrictions, and headed into the main salon to get to work.


	2. Batten Down the Hatches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meaning: Prepare for trouble, take precautionary measures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me long enough *face palm*
> 
> Sorry about the wait on the next chapter! I got a little stuck on exactly where I wanted this story to go over the course of the next few chapters, and then also started another WIP that has taken up most of my time doing research for. But we're back and ready for more of our yachting adventure! I also edited this at like one in the morning so I apologize if there are any errors I may have missed. 
> 
> HUGE shoutout to [@wherehavey0uben ](https://twitter.com/wherehavey0uben) for letting me ramble on about any ideas so far and helping me get this story back in a better direction. Super glad to have found someone else just as obsessed with Below Deck as I am. 
> 
> Happy New Year, and hope you enjoy!

**********

Ben couldn’t focus on his work. Here he was. Sitting on a multi million dollar yacht, with every tool and ingredient he could ever hope for, planning high end meals for customers with excessive amounts of money, and all he could think about was her.

Her. _Rey_. His coworker. His witty, and funny, and incredibly attractive coworker. 

Ben scrubbed his hand down his face. He hasn't even been here 24 hours and he was already distracted from what he was hired to do. He couldn’t let a pretty face... and pretty hair... and a pretty body... and a...

“Shit!”

He slammed his notebook down on the table in front of him. There wasn’t time for this. Provisions were arriving within the next hour, prep work had to be done, and guests were arriving bright and early the next morning. Ben hadn’t even opened up the guest food request packet yet which meant nothing had been planned.

Ben was meticulous on how he planned a charter. He always started with dinner planning, those being the most difficult meals to prepare and execute. The guests on these kinds of boats were used to the best of the best when it came to food, and would usually request at least one night of a multi course tasting menu. Then came lunches, which luckily could be served family style, but needed to be at the same level of taste as the dinners even though they were more casual. And if the guests decided on a beach picnic, he needed to make sure that whatever he cooked could easily be packed up and brought over on the tender to wherever the guests were. Last came breakfast, the easiest because it usually was just made to order eggs with options for basic pastries or a special of the day. Ben liked to make breakfast just as special, and would always offer something based off of the location they were in. And being in the mediterranean, that meant fish would play a prominent role in all meals. 

He knew what he was doing. He had over ten years of working experience as a chef and had a planning routine down to a science after years of training under some of the best yacht chefs in the world. But this threw a wrench in everything. 

Boat romances were a bad idea. Anyone who had worked on a yacht for any period of time knew this. They were stuck with the same group of people, in the tightest quarters imaginable. There is no such thing as privacy when you work on a yacht. So with this knowledge, why couldn’t Ben stop thinking about Rey?

He was screwed.

**********

After finally clearing his mind for a short period of time and getting his ideas for the next week's worth of meals written down, Ben felt like he had a moment where he could finally relax.

He slumped down in his seat on the couch and leaned his head back for a moment. 

That moment ended too quickly for him though when he heard someone clear their throat in the room. 

He opened one eye and there she was. There was that damn skort again. He straightened up in his seat a little too enthusiastically.

“Looks like someones already hit the exhaustion stage of charter season before any of the guests actually get here.” She had a smirk on her face. “Does this mean I have to add ‘set up a caffeine IV drip for the chef’ to the daily morning tasks for my stews?”

Ben let out a small huff of air. “Honestly, if that was possible I’d already be hooked up to one twenty four hours a day.”

“Well I’ll just have to make you one of my famous lattes every morning.” She walked over to the chair next to him and plopped down into the seat. “I have to drink one every morning or I’ll snap at the guests, I’m the furthest thing away from a morning person. Double shot of espresso in every one. Sometimes a triple shot if i'm feeling dangerous that day.”

“Well then be prepared to make me at least a triple shot every morning so I actually cook the food.”

“You’ve got a deal, chef.” And at that she winked at him.

_She winked at him!_

Ben now completely understood the saying of feeling like you have butterflies in your stomach, because at the current moment it feels like they're about to lift him off the couch and fly him out the door. 

After an awkward pause in conversation, because Ben couldn’t get his brain to form a single sentence, Rey continued on.

“So Mr. Chef, I heard you’ve been in the business for a while but are just coming back from some time away. What brings you back to yachting?”

Ben immediately tensed up. The last five years had been some of the most stressful and debilitating years of his life, and he really didn’t want to think about them anymore. It was time for a fresh start.

“Oh you know, it was time for a change in pace. I missed being on the boats and seeing the world, and Captain Phasma is a good friend of mine and she was in a pinch so here I am.” He silently hoped that was enough of an answer for her. “Oh, and please call me Ben. No need for formalities between coworkers.”

“Well _Ben_ , I’m really glad you’re here. I had worked with our original chef a few years ago on another boat and couldn't stand him. Even when everything was going right he always found something to be nitpicky about. His food may be delicious but if I had to hear one more time that a fork wasn’t placed perfectly parallel to the plate I think I may have lost it.”

Ben rolled his eyes. He knew chefs like that. He had worked under chefs like that. It was one thing to have standards that you wanted followed at all times, but being that picky was just someone on an asshole power trip.

“Well no need to worry. I do have my ways on how I like the kitchen and meal services run, but it isn’t that over the top and as long as those basic requests are followed then there will be absolutely no problems.”

“I’m glad Ben. Even in this short amount of time I’ve known you I can already tell how professional and passionate about your job you are. We’re definitely going to get along just fine.”

She crossed her legs and Ben couldn't stop staring. What was wrong with him? He’s a 32 year old man who has somehow been mentally reduced to a teenager. 

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “So… how did you get into yachting? Phasma mentioned this is only your second year in your position?”

“Yes! It’s my second year as chief stew but I had been in multiple stew and deck hand positions for about five years prior. Pretty much hopped on a yacht and started working the moment I turned eighteen and aged out of the system.”

Ben’s eyes widened slightly at that final mention. “... the system?”

“Oh yes. Foster system. Had been hopping around from home to home for a while but was with my last family for about four years. They lived in pretty much the middle of nowhere England so I was completely landlocked and had always dreamed of seeing the world. As I got closer to eighteen I started searching around the internet for jobs that would allow me to travel and yachting came up. I always was interested in boats so I packed a bag, took a bus down to the coast and joined the crew of the first boat I could find!”

He immediately felt a little uncomfortable. Ben had never really known anyone who had lived in the foster system. Yachting had been her escape from that life and a way to explore the world. Whereas for him, his love for food and cooking had been nurtured by his parents since he could remember, he was able to receive an education at one of the top culinary schools in the country, and this was all just to fulfill a passion he had. Not necessarily a means to make money and get away. 

“I’m so sorry all of that happened to you. But I’m glad it led you here. You clearly love what you do.”

Rey sat up straighter in the chair. “I really do! Sure the guests can be obnoxious and demanding at times, but being able to bring their outrageous requests to life and see them excited over not just the biggest requests but the smallest ones too makes me feel like I found exactly what I needed to do with my life. And the crazy tip money at the end of each charter is just the cherry on top!”

Ben was in agreement with that. While they did get paid a salary for their time aboard, tips were where the real money was made. Knowing that easily you could pocket another €2500- €3000 for each week of charter made dealing with expenses a lot easier. He would always keep his salary payments off to the side for daily living expenses for when he was back home, but that tip money was his fun money. There were always a few crew nights out to incredible restaurants in the countries they were docked at, and after weeks aboard the boat Ben would always treat himself to a short vacation somewhere in the world so he could just relax for a moment. 

He was about to say something in response when he heard the doors to the main salon slide open. He turned his head to see who had entered the room.

“Hey peanut! I was wondering where you were!” A man with dark skin had entered the room wearing a rash guard. Based on the uniform, Ben had to assume he was the other deckhand he had not met yet. 

“Oh hi Finn! Have you met our new chef yet?” She stood and walked over to the younger man. “Ben, this is Finn, he’s one of the deckhands. We went to school together and finally after how many years I convinced him to try yachting and spend a season on a boat!”

Ben stood up and walked over. “Finn, it's nice to meet you. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other.” He reached out his hand and the two shook quickly.

“Oh I can’t wait. Poe has been telling me how amazing your food is. Something about scallops? Just know I’m not picky and will eat almost anything. It’s why Rey and I got along so well when we first met as teenagers, it's like our stomachs are black holes.”

Rey smacked him on his arm lightly. “Finn! We’ve just met the man today, you don’t need to explain our eating habits just yet. I’m sure he’ll get to see it first hand sooner than later.” At that she let out a laugh. 

The feeling of jealousy washed over Ben. Yes he knew that these two had known each other for years, but the ease at which they interacted with each other was what he wanted for himself and Rey. This wasn’t a normal feeling for Ben. 

“Did you need me for anything Finn?”

“Oh! Yeah, I wanted to see if you were free for a late lunch? Phasma ordered sandwiches since provisions haven’t arrived yet. Wanna eat out on the bow?” 

Rey sat back down in the chair she was originally in.

“Sorry Finn, but Ben and I need to go over meal services and the food plan for the week. It has to happen now or we’re never going to have the time.”

Finn gave a small nod. “Totally understandable. Lots to get done before tomorrow. I’ll see you for dinner then peanut? Maybe finish up that movie we started last night?”

“That sounds perfect. I’ll find you later!” 

Finn waved at the two of them and exited back out onto the deck.

**********

After Finn had left, Ben and Rey got straight to work. Comparing notes on how service should be run, especially the nights of the multi course tasting menus. Those needed to be run as close to white glove service as possible.

Rey let him know again that she would be running breakfast, but that Rose was going to be the first stew up to get the table set and start beverage service in the morning. She needed more practice with working with the guests, and mornings tended to be a lot less stressful. Hux would be on lates, and would be in charge of the guests' needs during the afternoons and into late evening. 

Ben felt very confident in Rey’s abilities. She clearly already had a method to her madness, and had perfected it in the short amount of time she had her position. He already knew that this season (as long as Hux and Dameron didn’t annoy the shit out of him) would run smoother than most, and would take a lot of pressure off of him, giving him more time to focus solely on the food. 

Suddenly the sound of crackling came over their radios. Poe’s voice quickly came through. “Attention all crew, provisions are at the dock. I repeat, provisions are at the dock. All hands on deck!”

“Guess that's our cue!” Rey placed her notebook on the coffee table and jumped out of her seat. “I’ll be directing where everything goes so if you just hang in the galley you can let the rest of the crew know where you want the food to go. I’ll see you later!”

She again gave him a wink, and turned to leave the room. 

Ben’s body finally relaxed in his seat. Had he really been that tense the entire conversation? Something about Rey made him both nervous and excited at the same time. 

But it was time to get back to work. There wasn’t much time left in the day, and Ben needed to get to bed early before the charter started in the morning. He rose from his seat and headed back to the galley.

**********

_Hands wandered down his bare chest. Roaming the vast expense of his body. Lightly scratching with manicured nails._

_Ben let out a soft moan. He couldn't believe she was touching him like this._

_Wait... Wait a second. Who was touching him?_

_Ben slowly opened his eyes and stood before him was Rey, looking as beautiful as ever. She wore her normal uniform. The tight polo shirt. The short khaki skort. He took her form in, he couldn't believe how close she was to him. As he glanced over her body, his vision stopped at her chest. There, her nipples pebbled under the tight expanse of her shirt._

_He stood there slack jawed, in total disbelief that any of this was happening._

_He swallowed nervously. “R-Rey? What are you doing?”_

_Rey didn’t reply. She just blinked her eyes and looked up at him through her lashes._

_Slowly, she took a step towards him. Wrapping her arms around his neck. Standing on her toes, her face hovering just inches away from his._

_Ben shuddered. Her eyes closed and she slowly moved towards his face and-_

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The extremely loud beeping of an alarm pulled Ben from his dreams a little quicker than he had hoped to. His body jerked like he was falling. He was extremely confused. What was going on?

Remembering where he was and that he was shoved into a tiny top bunk, he carefully reached around his bed to find his phone to check the time. 5:30AM. He had his alarm set for 6:30AM, so where the hell was that beeping coming from?

Oh yes. How could he have forgotten his roommate for the next two months?

“Shit! Sorry dude. Didn’t think I had it set that loud. I’ll be out of here in just a minute so you can go back to sleep.” Poe was quickly pulling on his shorts and boat issued rash guard, grabbing his walkie, and quietly pulling the door shut behind him. 

Now that he was alone Ben let out a groan. He didn’t need to be in the galley until around 7AM on any given day, and if he was constantly being woken up every morning this early by fucking Dameron he was sure he would quickly lose it. 

After a moment in silence, Ben’s dream returned to his thoughts. He was dreaming about Rey. She was touching him? And why the hell was he almost naked, but she was still wearing that damn uniform? Shouldn’t he be having dreams of _her_ naked?

He shifted his body and immediately felt a warm stickiness in his pants. 

“Shit.” Ben knew exactly what had happened. Stupid shit that happens to teenagers not grown ass men. He silently thanked the world that he hadn’t gotten out of bed while Poe was still in the room. He would have never heard the end of it if he had seen a wet spot on Ben’s sleep pants. 

He was never getting back to sleep now. He had to get out of his pants and at least get clean underwear on. He could then just lounge around until it was time to head up to the galley. _What a way to start the first day of charter_ he thought to himself. Losing an extra hour of sleep might not be that big of a deal, but in this career you get allt the sleep you can. You ever know when a guest is going to request some extravagant food at any time of the day. First day of charter, and he was going to be exhausted. 

But then he remembered Rey’s promise of a latte every morning, and that brought a smile to his face. They had known each other for all of a few hours, and only knew basic details about their yachting history, but Ben felt like that little act of just making him a coffee every morning was the most anyone had ever cared for him in his ten years of cooking professionally. 

After crawling off the top bunk and locating a change of underwear and his chef pants and changing, Ben laid back down in bed and scrolled through his phone. He had missed a few text messages from his mother that were sent while he was sleeping. The six hour time difference between where he was in Spain and where his parents lived in New York made communication tough at times, so texting was the easiest way to make contact.

He fired off a few texts to his mother, letting her know that yes he arrived okay, and yes he packed extra sunscreen (for his “delicate and fair skin” as she liked to say). The last five years had made Ben’s relationship with his parents quite rocky at points, but he knew he was in the wrong and was doing what he could to make up the lost time.

The alarm for 6:30 went off, which signaled to Ben it was time to really get his butt in gear and be ready for the day ahead. Throwing on a white t-shirt and grabbing his white chef's coat, he made his way up to the galley earlier than he had planned, but that gave him a little extra time to prepare small plates and snacks for the guests when they arrived. 

When he walked into the galley, Hux was already in there making a pot of coffee and playing a game on his phone. 

It was too early to get into it with Hux, so Ben walked past him and made his way over to the ovens and started them up to preheat. The day before he had prepped some brioche buns that had already proofed overnight, so now they could go in the oven. He could feel Hux’s eyes following his every move in the galley, but he paid no attention to him, just continuing whatever work he could get done in the course of the next two hours. 

“Oh and good morning to you too. Yes I slept well. It’s a lovely day outside don't you think?” Hux said sarcastically towards him. 

Ben paused for a moment, took a deep breath in like his therapist told him to whenever he felt like he was going to raise his voice, and expelled it. After a moment he continued on with his work, now pulling out a series of pots and pans he needed for lunch prep. 

“Oh so we're going to be that kind of Ben this season, huh? Just so you’re aware, the more you don’t talk, the more I will talk, so be prepared for that!”

Ben turned and faced the red haired man. “I don’t know what your problem is, but as you can clearly see I’m doing my job and actually getting stuff ready for the day. Not standing around drinking a cup of coffee. Maybe you could follow suit and actually do your job for once.”

Hux just rolled his eyes, and made his way out of the galley. Ben took another deep breath and went back to the task he had started. 

After getting the bread in the oven, and making up a few charcuterie boards to have on hand for the day, Ben had a moment to pause and reflect. Another technique his therapist had suggested doing during his days working to determine the good things he had already accomplished, and to revisit the things that didn’t go so well and determine what he could do differently if it happened again. 

While his eyes were closed and he had leaned himself onto the counter in front of him, he heard footsteps coming into the galley.

Preparing to go at it again with Hux, he opened his eyes ready with a quip for whatever he had to say to him this time. But it wasn’t the annoying man he assumed it would be.

It was Rey, and in her hands she had a large rounded mug. Whatever was in it was steaming.

“Heard you were awake! You’re up earlier than I expected. And as I promised, I brought you your latte for the day. Thought you might need an extra kick so I did a triple shot of espresso.” She placed the mug on the counter and gently slid it towards him.

Ben picked up the mug and took a big whiff. It smelled delicious. Another perk of working on a super yacht was that because of the level of clientele, the coffee that was served was always the best of the best. 

He took a small sip, and the flavors exploded on his tongue. The milk was perfectly steamed, and there was a slight hint of sweetness to the beverage. Possibly a pump of a flavored syrup? His face must have given him away as he contemplated the flavors. 

“It’s flavored with a small amount of an almond syrup. The guests requested it for this charter and I had a taste this morning and loved it. A little goes a long way, but I think this might be my new go to!”

Ben nodded in agreement and took another sip. It warmed him up from the inside out. Body and soul. Yes, he could definitely get used to this every morning. 

“This is delicious thank you so much Rey.”

She smiled at him, and that triggered a memory for Ben. A memory of a dream he just had this morning. He felt the flush go up his neck and onto his face. He really hoped she didn’t notice it, especially because he knew his ears were about to turn beet red and they were large. He casually maneuvered his hair, ruffling it with one hand so that it fell on top of his ears slightly. 

“No problem Ben. Since Rose will be handling the morning beverage requests, I’ll make sure to get one to you before the guests start their food demands.”

Something started beeping at that moment, and Rey quickly pulled a phone out of her skort pocket.

“Oh would you look at that. It’s already 9AM. I gotta go change into my whites and let the rest of the crew know it's time to change. Guests should arrive any moment now. I’ll see you out on deck?”

“Yes, of course. I already have my chefs jacket with me so I’m ready whenever you are.”

“Perfect Ben. I'll see you in a little bit!” She turned on her heel and walked out, picking up her walkie to alert the crew that it was time to change.

After about fifteen minutes, Captain Phasma’s voice came over the walkie letting everyone know that the guests were making their way down the dock and to go and wait on deck for them.

The entire team lined up ready to greet their first charter guests. Rey and Hux stood there with trays of champagne, while Rose had a tray with cold towels to help combat the hot mediterranean sun. 

This charter group consisted of five people, and a dog. Ben hated when guests brought their dogs on board, because it meant he would also be cooking for the dog. These were the kinds of people who didn’t believe in dry dog food and probably had separate chefs for the dog at home. And of course, none of this was listed on the guest request sheet. 

The captain took a step forward towards the group when they all got on the boat. “Welcome to The Resistance! We’re so glad to have you on board for the next week.”

One of the women stepped forward and did the customary double cheek kiss towards the captain. 

“We’re so happy to be here! My name is Hera, this is my husband Kanan. And these are our friends Ezra, Sabine, and Zedd. And of course this little munchkin in my arms is our darling Chopper.”

Ben had to hold in a laugh. The dog looked like a rat. Why did they always have the tiniest, ugliest dogs? He made a quick glance towards Rey, who made eye contact with him. She rolled her eyes and then looked back at the guests with a large fake smile on her face. 

Phasma spoke again, “It’s so nice to meet all of you. We’re going to have our deck team go retrieve your bags from the vans and bring them down to the guest quarters. Rey here, our chief stew, has drinks for you and will give you a tour of the boat. We will be leaving port soon and will be off to our next destination.”

“That’s a perfect plan. Before we head off though I just wanted to let all of you know of some… _expectations_ we have while on board. We don’t like to wait for anything and expect whatever we ask for in the shortest amount of time possible. Our entire party each has bells that we will ring when something is needed. And please don’t make us wait long. You want to keep your reputation, correct?”

Everyone stood there silently. Clearly no one knew what to say at that moment.

It was Rey that perked up first. “Oh I’m so glad you brought those with you! I wouldn’t want you waiting for anything as well.” Ben could hear the slight sarcastic tone to her voice, but she kept a smile on her face. “Why don’t you all grab a drink from Hux and myself and we’ll make our way through the boat. I’m sure you’ll all love to sit up on the sun deck and watch the view as we leave the harbor. I’ll even bring up some snacks that you can have before lunch.”

She quickly ushered them away, turning around and rolling her eyes even more than she did before, directed at the entire crew.

Once the guests left everyone collectively let out a large sigh. 

Oh, so it was going to be one of _those_ charters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Twitter for random thoughts that come to mind, fics I’m obsessing over, random Star Wars shit posting, and *sometimes* the art that I’m working on!
> 
> [@darth_rachel_](https://twitter.com/darth_rachel_)
> 
> And check out my Reylo/Star Wars/Harry Potter AU fic that is consuming my brain atm  
> [A Test of Courage](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28143228/chapters/68958186)

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Twitter for random thoughts that come to mind, fics I’m obsessing over, random Star Wars shit posting, and sometimes the art that I’m working on!
> 
> [@darth_rachel_](https://twitter.com/darth_rachel_)
> 
> mood board photo manips by [@blessedreylo](https://twitter.com/blessedreylo)


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